ST. LOUIS - Airmen from the 126th Air Refueling Wing gathered at St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Wednesday, April 1, to honor heroes from the past.
The 126th ARW Airmen were part of a group of service members, including Marines, Soldiers, and Coast Guardsmen, seeing off and welcoming home veterans from the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight.
“It was neat to meet people who had served and are proud to have done so,” said Master Sgt. Rodney Ruttenbur.
“I met a guy who saw my ‘Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants’ patch on my arm and said he was POL in 1968.”
Retired Master Sgt. Adania Lovern, with the 906th Air Refueling Squadron, brought her son, Antonio, with her to honor the veterans of the Honor Flight. Antonio is a member of the Mascoutah Air Force Jr. ROTC.
“I wanted to show him that it’s not just active duty that is commemorated,” said Lovern. “We need to show respect to those who have come before us.”
The flight included more than 90 veterans from the Korean and Vietnam Wars. World War II and Marine Corps veteran Bob Schultz celebrated his 104th birthday. Schultz fought in every major battle in the Pacific Ocean and survived several kamikaze attacks.
“I was so excited to shake his hand,” said Master Sgt. Leslie Hamilton, a health systems technician with the 126th Medical Group. “I got to listen to the words he was sharing with me and to see his smile.”
The Honor Flight is a nationwide nonprofit organization that brings veterans to Washington, D.C., for the day to visit the memorials built in their honor. Their mission states that they want to celebrate America’s veterans by sharing a day of honor in the nation’s capital. They want veterans to experience the honor, gratitude, and support they deserve.
Although it was a rainy day in the St. Louis area, it was a sunny day in Washington. They were greeted at Washington Dulles International Airport with a water cannon salute.
The veterans watched a flag-folding ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial and observed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery.
The 114th Greater St. Louis Honor Flight featured about 85 Vietnam veterans. They spent time at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial gathering name rubbings of their fallen brothers and sisters in arms who were killed in action during the conflict.
After a long day that started for some at 1:30 a.m., the plane touched back down in St. Louis just after 9 p.m. However, the day of honoring and celebrating their service was not over.
As they stepped off the plane, uniformed service members stood on either side of the hallway in Terminal 2, saluting as they passed.
“When the veterans were being escorted down through the line of servicemembers saluting them and they voiced their ‘thank yous’ with a returned salute,” said Master Sgt. Amber Sallee, maintenance support section supervisor, 126th Logistics Readiness Squadron, “that melted my heart.”
“The Vietnam veterans have never gotten the acknowledgment they deserved,” said Lovern.
“When I came home from Vietnam we landed in San Francisco with no greeting,” said Navy veteran Fred Waldrop. “We were told not to look like veterans.”
Waldrop served as a carpenter in the Seabees, for the 1st and 26th Marines outside of Da Nang.
“The homecoming was over the top,” said Waldrop. “This time it was very moving with all the military and family being there.”
This homecoming included service members marching in front of the veterans in columns of two down the terminal, led by the St. Louis County Police Pipes and Drums, past their cheering family and friends until they reached the security exit.
Asked if she would do it again, Sallee said, “I submitted my volunteer application the following day. Giving back to that community is the least that we can do for their service to this country.”
The next Greater St. Louis Honor Flight is scheduled for June 3.